Artur Beterbiev will turn 40 this coming January. But the man remains an unstoppable force even at an age when most fighters would consider retirement. Perhaps the light heavyweight champion might be contemplating his future. But he’s also focused on one last major challenge before he hangs the gloves. On October 12, he will meet Dmitry Bivol. The duo is slated to square off at Riyadh’s Kingdom Arena for the undisputed title in the 175-pound weight class.

The match is set to be a formidable test for Beterbiev. Bivol is unlike the opponents he has faced in the past. Apart from the fact that he is 6 years his junior, the Kyrgyzstan-born boxer is a renowned technical wizard who knows a thing or two about throwing powerful punches. But ask a Beterbiev fan, and they will shrug off the threat. Their icon will reign supreme in the end. The way fans reacted when training footage of Artur Beterbiev appeared speaks a lot about those sentiments.

Artur Beterbiev: Punching through bags

Matchroom Boxing, BoxingScene, and a few other outlets shared a fifteen-second clip of Beterbiev. The BoxingScene post rather had a poser for the fans: “BETERBIEV LOOKS SHARP. 🔪Artur Beterbiev preparing for Dimitry Bivol. 🥊Does he become undisputed on October 12? 🤔”

The footage shows the light heavyweight champion working on the Mexican double-end bag. Standing in his usual orthodox stance, Artur Beterbiev throws light one-two combinations. He ensures to duck when the bag lunges at him. Gradually increasing the pace, he starts mixing hooks and uppercuts, maintaining intense focus throughout.

The champion comes off the second unified title defense. On January 13, he defeated Callum Smith in front of fans in his adopted country, Canada. Initially, the Bivol showdown was scheduled for June 1. However, a meniscus injury forced a postponement to the new date in October.

A clear win in sight

Artur Beterbiev remains the only champion with a 100% KO record. That’s why, despite his technical prowess, many fans feel that Beterbiev’s power will simply overwhelm Bivol to an early stoppage. Let’s explore what some of them had to say.

Perhaps a diehard fan, this user proclaimed that Beterbiev would enter the record books as the first boxer who dispatched Bivol out for the count. They said, “First man to knock Bivol out.” The next fan allowed their imagination to run wild. They considered Beterbiev as boxing’s answer to Khabib Nurmagomedov. “The Khabib of boxing 👏🏻”

The following user seems so impressed by Artur Beterbiev’s skills that they felt Dmitry Bivol is unlikely to succeed in his objective to become the next light heavyweight undisputed champion. “Dmitry Bivol doesn’t stand a chance,” the user said.

Though the long break between the fights, injury, and age are concerning factors, nevertheless, to this fan, Beterbiev would still emerge as the winner by any margins. This is what they said: “I hate the time off, the injury, and the age factor… But I got Beterbiev by KO 💪🏿.”

However, a Bivol fan frankly expressed their disapproval with the ongoing narrative. In their views, the WBA champion will score a unanimous victory on October 12. Bivol’s superior skills would be too much for Beterbiev to catch up in the ring, they stated. “No. He’s getting his first loss by an unanimous decision. Bivol’s footwork and stamina will be a difference-maker,” said the fan.

A closer look at the match would reveal that it is one of those classic 50/50 deals. Where Beterbiev checks the box for strength, Bivol shines in the technical sphere.

But it’s definitely one of those epic matchups that fans would go wild to see. It’s out of the divisional cage. The fight is between two unbeatable masters out to prove their dominance in the boxing world. As many fans have espoused, the fight will fish out a winner. But in the end, they will witness a never-before-seen gathering of two exceptional talents in the ring.

What is your view on Beterbiev’s prospects against Bivol? Do you also feel it will be another KO win for the champion?